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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · pitch · mouse · mine · chair · spring · mark · bore

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com